Date:         Tue, 24 Mar 1998 18:30:24 -0800
Reply-To:     Sam Scholten <vwvanagon@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Sam Scholten <vwvanagon@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: A Different Jack
Comments: To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hi volks;

I may have a solution for your jacking troubles (no pun intended). It
does not involve a crank getting in the way of the trim.

That *&^%&^% Bilstein that came with the bus when I got it just does
not work. When it came time to put coolant in the system for the first
time, I had to borrow a friend's hydraulic jack and two axle stands.
Everything went so well with it that I got a good jack and axle stands
for myself.

To jack up the bus while avoiding the trim, you have to do all of the
regular preliminaries- level surface, blocking the wheels on the
ground, make sure E-brake is engaged. Then, if you are jacking up the
front wheel(s), put the jack SECURELY under the front A-arm, making
DAMN sure not to put it too far inward- it may slide out.

You're actually jacking up the wheel, so as you're pumping on the jack
lever, the van will budge more slowly at first- remember the spring
travel. Set your axle stands to the height that you want the vehicle
to be, and keep jacking until you can JUST slide the axle stand under
the boss, or "jacking point", where the jack would ordinarily go.

This is the part where you bring a trusted friend. If you have none,
it's time to reassess your social skills. You don't do this yourself.
Anyway, have your friend slide the axle stand to where the groove goes
DIRECTLY under the boss. Then, SLOWLY twist the handle on the jack to
SLOWLY lower the bus onto the stand. Make ABSOLUTELY sure that the
axle stand is firmly planted on the ground. A good way to do this is
to have your friend hold onto the stand as the bus is lowered. When
you are confident that the stand is seated correctly, then go ahead
and keep lowering the jack, allowing the bus to sit on the stand.

Don't let the all-caps shouting scare you; this is not a laborious
job, just one that requires some focus.

> I have run into a similar problem on a Plymouth Voyager.

Karma is a bitch. Only kidding :)

Best of luck,
Sam

=
"Punk's not dead (it just sucks right now)"
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